This experiment was conducted to clarify the effect of the high temperature on physicochemical properties of barley kernels during ripening stage. High temperature treatment was lasted from each 10, 17 and 24 days after heading(DAH) until the harvest time at 21oC, 24oC, 27oC in artificial climate room. The results showed that ripening period from heading to maturity was tend to be shorter at higher temperature treatment condition and at longer duration treatment condition. and 1000-grain weight was decreased as the ripening period shortened. Furthermore, gelatinization properties was changed by high temperature due to the reduction of starch and amylose contents. As the shortening of grain filling period by a high temperature treatment, the protein content was increased. In the 10 DAH at 27oC treatment, the grain filling period was shortened by 9 days. The starch contents was reduced by 5.7 %, and the protein content was increased by 5.6 % in a such condition. Protein contents was showed negative correlations with amylose, starch contents and gelatinization properties, respectively. Starch contents, however, showed positive correlations with amlyose content and gelatinization properties.

Limonium tetragonum is a halophyte grown naturally in the coastal region in South Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of salt concentrations on seed germination, seedling growth, and antioxidant capacity of L. tetragonum. Seeds were collected from naturally grown plants of L. tetragonum and those at full maturity were used in this experiment. All experiments were performed at 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, or 2.0% of salt concentrations. Seed germination rate was highest as 86% at 20℃ and followed as higher in order of 25℃, 30℃ and 15℃. The germination rate was about 80% at 0% or 0.5% of salt concentration, but it was very low at the salt concentrations higher than 1%. Growth of L. tetragonum seedlings showed no difference in Hoagland solution containing NaCl in the range of 0% to 1.0% and seedlings survived at 2.0% of NaCl concentration. As the salt concentration increased, the content of Na+ in the shoot increased, but that of K+, Ca++, or Mg++ decreased. The antioxidant activity and the content of total polyphenol and total flavonoid in the shoot were similar at 0% and 0.5% of NaCl and were highest at 2.0% of NaCl concentration. In conclusion, performance of seed germination and plant growth of L. tetragonum was highest at 0% and 0.5% of NaCl concentration, and showed no difference in antioxidant activity, total polyphenol contents, and total flavonoid contents at the same salt concentrations.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of high temperature on the stem, leaf and grain of barley during the ripening period and to provide information for the development of high-temperature cultivation techniques and adaptive varieties. We used an artificial climate control facility, to provide a temperature 3℃ higher than the normal average temperature during the ripening stage. Although the maximum rate of starch synthesis was increased at high temperature by approximately 11%, the starch content was decreased, because the period of starch synthesis ended 4 days earlier. As in the case of starch synthesis, the expression of genes related to starch synthesis was increased at the early ripening stage in the high temperature treatment, however, the duration of expression tended to decrease rapidly. Furthermore, the partitioning rate of assimilation products in the panicle increased to a greater extent in the high temperature treatment than in the control. In contrast, for the stem and leaf, the partitioning rate of assimilation products decreased more rapidly in the high temperature treatment than in the control. On the basis of these results, it can be considered that the translocation rate of assimilation products increased to a greater extent in the high temperature treatment than in the control at the early ripening stage. These results indicate that the decrease in grain weight at high temperature during the ripening stage is attributable to an increase in the speed of starch synthesis at high temperature, but the increase in ripening speed does not compensate for the shortening of the ripening period. Finally to develop varieties and cultivation techniques suited to high temperature, we need to focus on physiological characteristics related to the duration of starch synthesis.

The increase in the frequency of occurrence of abnormal weather could include severe rainfall, which could cause rice submergence during the ripening stage. This experiment was conducted to clarify the effects of submergence during the ripening period on yield and quality of rice. The flooding treatment was conducted at 7 and 14 days after heading. Flooding conditions were created with two conditions, flag leaf exposed and overhead flooding, and each condition was divided into two conditions according to water quality—clear and muddy. Although the yield decrease was more severe at 7 days after heading because of the decrease in the ripening ratio, the head rice ratio was more affected at 14 days after heading because of the increase in the chalky kernel ratio. The maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), which indicates the photosynthetic efficiency, did not differ before and after the flooding treatment until flooding continued for 4 days. In addition, stem elongation occurred because of flooding as an avoidance mechanism in japonica rice. This phenomenon was expected to decrease the supply of assimilation products to the spikelet (sink). Overall, it was suggested that additional experiments should be conducted examining the change in the starch synthesis mechanism and transfer of assimilate products resulting from submergence, for development of cultivation techniques corresponding to submergence and breeding of varieties with submergence tolerance characteristics.